U-Isaya 40
1 Duduzani, liduduze abantu bami, utsho uNkulunkulu wenu.
“Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God.
2 Khulumani kunhliziyo yeJerusalema, limemeze kuyo ukuthi imfazo yayo iphelelisiwe, ukuthi ububi bayo buthethelelwe, ngoba yemukele esandleni seNkosi okuphindwe kabili ngazo zonke izono zayo.
“Speak tenderly to Jerusalem; and proclaim to her that her warfare has ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received double from Yahweh's hand for all her sins.”
3 Ilizwi lomemezayo ehlanelithi: Lungisani indlela yeNkosi, lenzele uNkulunkulu wethu umgwaqo omkhulu oqondileyo enkangala.
A voice cries out, “In the wilderness prepare the way of Yahweh; make straight in the Arabah a highway for our God.”
4 Sonke isigodi sizaphakanyiswa, layo yonke intaba loqaqa kuzakwehliswa; lokugobileyo kuzakwenziwa kuqonde, lendawo ezimaxhakaxhaka zibe ligceke.
Every valley will be lifted up, and every mountain and hill will be leveled; and the rugged land will be made level, and the rough places a plain;
5 Inkazimulo yeNkosi izabonakaliswa, layo yonke inyama iyibone kanyekanye, ngoba umlomo weNkosi ukhulumile.
and the glory of Yahweh will be revealed, and all people will see it together; for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken it.
6 Ilizwi lathi: Memeza! Wasesithi: Ngizamemeza ngithini? Yonke inyama ibutshani, labo bonke ubuhle bayo bunjengeluba leganga.
A voice says, “Cry.” Another answers, “What should I cry?” “All flesh is grass, and all their covenant faithfulness is like the flower of the field.
7 Utshani buyabuna, iluba liyawohloka, ngoba uMoya weNkosi uphephetha kukho; isibili abantu babutshani.
The grass withers and the flower wilts when the breath of Yahweh blows on it; surely humanity is grass.
8 Utshani buyabuna, iluba liyawohloka; kodwa ilizwi likaNkulunkulu wethu limi kuze kube nini lanini.
The grass withers, the flower wilts, but the word of our God will stand forever.”
9 Wena Ziyoni, oletha izindaba ezinhle, khwela entabeni ende; wena Jerusalema, oletha izindaba ezinhle, phakamisa ilizwi lakho ngamandla, liphakamise ungesabi; tshono emizini yakoJuda uthi: Khangelani, uNkulunkulu wenu.
Go up on a high mountain, Zion, bearer of good news. Shout out loud, Jerusalem. You who bring good news, raise your voice, do not be afraid. Say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!”
10 Khangela, iNkosi uJehova izakuza ngamandla, lengalo yayo izayibusela; khangela, umvuzo wayo ilawo, lenkokhelo yayo iphambi kwayo.
Look, the Lord Yahweh comes as a victorious warrior, and his strong arm rules for him. See, his reward is with him, and those he has rescued go before him.
11 Izakwelusa umhlambi wayo njengomelusi, izabutha amawundlu ngengalo yayo, iwathwale esifubeni sayo, ikhokhele kuhle ezimunyisayo.
He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather in his arm the lambs, and carry them close to his heart, and will gently lead the ewes nursing their young.
12 Ngubani olinganise amanzi entendeni yesandla sakhe, walinganisa amazulu ngeminwe eyeluliweyo, wahlanganisa uthuli lomhlaba esilinganisweni, walinganisa izintaba ngesikali, lamaqaqa ngesilinganiso?
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, measured the sky with the span of his hand, held the dust of the earth in a basket, weighed the mountains in scales, or the hills in a balance?
13 Ngubani oqondise uMoya weNkosi, kumbe wamfundisa engumeluleki wakhe?
Who has comprehended the mind of Yahweh, or instructed him as his counselor?
14 Yelulekane lobani, owayenza yaqedisisa, wayifundisa endleleni yesahlulelo, wayifundisa ulwazi, wayazisa indlela yokuqedisisa?
From whom did he ever receive instruction? Who taught him the correct way to do things, and taught him knowledge, or showed to him the way of understanding?
15 Khangela, izizwe zinjengethonsi lenkonxa, zibalwa njengothuli lwesikali. Khangela, uphakamisa izihlenge njengento encinyane kakhulu.
Look, the nations are like a drop in a bucket, and are regarded like the dust on the scales; see, he weighs the isles as a speck.
16 LeLebhanoni kayeneli ukutsha, lenyamazana zayo kazeneli umnikelo wokutshiswa.
Lebanon is not sufficient fuel, nor its wild animals sufficient for a burnt offering.
17 Zonke izizwe zinjengezingasilutho phambi kwayo, zibalwa kuyo zincinyane kulokungelutho lokuyize.
All the nations are insufficient before him; they are regarded by him as nothing.
18 Pho, lizamfananisa lobani uNkulunkulu, loba mfanekiso bani elizamlinganisa lawo?
To whom then will you compare God? To what idol will you liken him?
19 Ingcitshi incibilikisa isithombe esibaziweyo, lomkhandi wegolide uyasinameka ngegolide, abumbe ngokuncibilikisa amaketane esiliva.
An idol! A craftsman casts it: The goldsmith overlays it with gold and forges silver chains for it.
20 Lowo ongumyanga ongelamnikelo ukhetha isihlahla esingaboliyo, azidingele umbazi oyingcitshi ukuze alungise isithombe esingayikunyikinywa.
To make an offering one chooses a wood that will not rot; he seeks a skillful artisan to make an idol that will not fall over.
21 Kalazi yini? Kalizwanga yini? Kalitshelwanga yini kwasekuqaleni? Kaliqedisisanga yini kwasekusekelweni komhlaba?
Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
22 Kunguye ohlala phezu kwesigombolozi somhlaba, labahlali bawo banjengentethe; owendlala amazulu njengekhetheni, awelule njengethente lokuhlala;
He is the one who sits above the horizon of the earth; and the inhabitants are like grasshoppers before him. He stretches out the heavens like a curtain and spreads them out as a tent to live in.
23 owenza iziphathamandla zingabi yilutho, enze abehluleli bomhlaba babe njengeze.
He reduces rulers to nothing and makes the rulers of the earth insignificant.
24 Yebo, kabayikugxunyekwa; yebo, kabayikuhlanyelwa; yebo, isiqu sabo kasiyikugxila emhlabathini; laye uzaphephetha phezu kwabo, babune; lesivunguzane sibasuse njengamabibi.
They are barely planted, barely sown, their stem has barely taken root in the earth, when he blows upon them and they wither, and the wind carries them away like straw.
25 Pho, lizangifananisa lobani, engizafanana laye? kutsho oNgcwele.
“To whom then will you compare me, whom do I resemble?” says the Holy One.
26 Phakamiselani amehlo enu phezulu, libone odale lezizinto; okhipha ibutho lazo ngenani; azibize zonke ngamabizo ngobukhulu bamandla akhe, ngoba eqinile emandleni; kayikho leyodwa esilelayo.
Look up at the sky! Who has created all these stars? He leads out their formations and calls them all by name. By the greatness of his might and by the strength of his power, not one is missing.
27 Utsholoni, wena Jakobe, ukhulume, wena Israyeli ukuthi: Indlela yami isithekile eNkosini lesahlulelo sami sedlulisiwe nguNkulunkulu wami?
Why do you say, Jacob, and declare, Israel, “My way is hidden from Yahweh, and my God is not concerned about my vindication”?
28 Kawazi yini, kawukezwa yini? UNkulunkulu olaphakade, iNkosi, uMdali wemikhawulo yomhlaba kapheli amandla njalo kadinwa? Kakuphenyeki ukuqedisisa kwakhe.
Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, Yahweh, the Creator of the ends of the earth, does not get tired or weary; there is no limit to his understanding.
29 Inika abadangeleyo amandla, lakwabangaqinanga yandisa amandla.
He gives strength to the tired; and to the weak he gives renewed energy.
30 Labatsha bazaphelelwa ngamandla, badinwe, lamajaha azakuwa lokuwa;
Even young people become tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall:
31 kodwa abalindela iNkosi bazavuselela amandla; bazaqonga ngempiko njengenkozi, bagijime bangadinwa, bahambe bangapheli amandla.
but those who wait for Yahweh will renew their strength; they will soar with wings like eagles; they will run and not be weary; they will walk and not faint.
